Blurred Appearance
Fanfiction for Feather's contest. Prologue "What do you mean, she'll never see?" the small brown she-cat asked. "Exactly what it sounds like, she was born with a rare condition, called blindness, it causes her never to see," a gray-brown she-cat replied. "Y-you mean she'll never be able to see me, or the flowers, her father, the leaves falling, anything?" the she-cat asked. "Nothing, unless StarClan intervenes," the gray-brown she-cat replied. "Smalleagle, tell me, will she ever be a warrior?" the brown she-cat asked the other she-cat. "No, Mousefoot, she most likely will not," Smalleagle replied, looking down as the peaceful white she-cat slumbered. Chapter One "Ow Owlkit! That hurt!" Cloudykit mewed, her side stinging from where he had thrown a clump of icy snow at her. "Well you should have moved," he responded, his resentment for his denmate growing with every word. Cloudykit held her tongue, and didn't say anything, her mother was always telling her not to be so bold in er speech, and she was trying to please her. She wondered why her and Owlkit couldn't be friends, they were both the only kit in their litter, and she knew that Owlkit wanted a kit to wrestle with, but she wasn't that kind of kit. She was blind. - - - - It had been a moon since that confrontation with Owlkit, and things had gotten a bit better, Owlkit was now Owlpaw, apprenticed to the Clan deputy, Featherspeck. Cloudykit was left as the only kit in the nursery and her lonliness felt like a stab of pain every time she padded into it. Her mother was encouraging, though, telling her of the great warrior that she'd be, but in truth, no-one knew if she'd even become an apprentice, let alone a warrior. Chapter Two Owlpaw lept at the thrush, and brought it down in a flurry of claw and feather. He killed it with a swift bite to its neck and carried it over to his mentor, Featherspeck. "Good Owlpaw," she mewed, "But I think you scared away every other piece of prey in the forest with the screeching you and that bird did, we need to practice being quieter." "Why, I got the bird didn't I?" Owlpaw murmured. "Because as I already said you probably scared everything else away getting the bird," Featherspeck replied, getting annoyed. "But does that matter, I got the bird didn't I?" he replied. "Yes, yes you did, and it matters because the other hunting patrols won't be able to find anything tonight, so some cats will go to sleep hungry tonight!" Featherspeck hissed through clenched teeth, her frustration growing with every word, "Now go back to camp and check the elders for ticks, I'll take another patrol out and see if we can scavenge for enough prey to feed the Clan." Owlpaw let out a long, overly loud breath, and started trudging back to camp, with Featherspeck behind him. "Stop sighing Owlpaw, your apprenticeship is only beginning," she mewed, her frustration evident. Chapter Three "Cloudykit, come back," Cloudykit's mother called, "We're lucky that Brownstar has decided to allow you to enter your apprenticeship, and we have to get you groomed and ready." Cloudykit sighed, and sat down, letting her mother groom her fur to the sleek, soft, fur of her father. It had taken Brownstar long enough to allow her to become apprenticed, she was already eight moons old and she was growing tired of the nursery. "Besides that, your father is very busy, he has a Clan to lead," Fernstem mewed, still grooming. "Yes but I can't remember the last time Brownstar came to see me," Cloudykit protested. "It's been hard on him-" Fernstem began. "Having a daughter that's blind," Cloudykit finished, could anyone ever accept her as a regular cat, instead of a defect? "You need to understand honey," Fernstem elaborated, "You're probably the only kit Brownstar is ever going to have, and he's just..." her voice trailed off, trying to think of the appropriate response. "Just what mother?" Cloudykit asked. "Just a little bit disappointed," Fernstem mewed, her voice barely audible. Chapter Four Owlpaw seethed, first having to check the elders for ticks, now this! He had to watch Cloudykit become apprenticed. He didn't even know why Brownstar was making her an apprentice, she was blind for StarClan sake! She would never be able to see. He turned his head to see her pad out of the nursery, her white pelt was long and sleek, like Brownstar's, with the exception of the brown splotches on Brownstar's pelt. He looked up at Brownstar, as he started to mew the ancient words: "Cloudykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cloudypaw. Skywisher, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Sneezefeather, and you have shown yourself to be brave and gentle. You will be the mentor of Cloudypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her. Cloudypaw, Your mentor will be Skywisher. I hope Skywisher will pass down all she knows on to you." Brownstar finished, letting Cloudypaw and Skywisher touch noses. Great, Owlpaw thought, Now I have to train with this defect! Chapter Five Cloudypaw lept at Skywisher, trying to perform the move that Skywisher had went through hundreds of times before, but like every time her blindness got into her way, and Skywisher daintily stepped away. "Gah!" she exclaimed, her frustration getting the best of her once again. "Cloudypaw, you're never going to become a warrior if you let your frustration get the best of you," Skywisher mewed, gently. "I know, I know," Cloudypaw mewed. She caught scent of Hawkwatcher, and his apprentice, Talonpaw. Cloudypaw had always secretly had a crush on Talonpaw, she had heard cats talk about Talonpaw's fur, it was long and ginger, he had two black paws, and cats marveled about how handsome he was. Cloudypaw really liked him, however, because he and his sister, Larkpaw, had always been kind to her. Much more than Owlpaw ever had been. Chapter Six Owlpaw watched Cloudypaw try and fail to get her metor. He was perched atop a branch high above her head and she would never scent or hear him up there. He couldn't help but admire her courage, as she took one leap after another, but failing every time. She was determined, and, even though he hated to admit it, it hurt him every time he made a comment on her blindness. He found that he was starting to like her, maybe even love her. And nobody could know... Chapter Seven Cloudypaw trudged back to camp, her frustration almost overwhealmed by her disappointment in herself. It seemed that she couldn't do anything right! More Coming Soon Chapter Eight Coming soon Chapter Nine Coming soon Chapter Ten Coming soon Category:Fan Fictions Category:Ducksplash